BIG PICTURE
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Monmouth & Middlesex Counties
December 2016
A Message From A Grateful Mother Of A Little Brother
Look Who Has A Big!
Dear Friends,
As I recall our journey with BBBSMMC, I am reminded of the quote about patience which
says, “Have patience and wait for the things you want the most. Don’t chase it. Don’t run
after it. Remember, If God wants you to have it, He will give it to you”. That’s exactly what
happened when Tyler Wagner became a part of our lives as my son Kendall’s role model,
mentor, and Big Brother. As a single mother of a male child, it became increasingly
important to me to do all that I can to raise a positive, productive young man despite the
absence of his father. No matter how much of a good mother I can be, and how hard I try
to overcompensate for Kendall’s lack of communication with his dad, I knew that I could
never be a father to him; I could never teach him how to become a young man. I realized
then, that I desperately needed help. That’s when I called BBBSMMC.
From October 2014 to April 2016, we waited
patiently, anxiously for a Big Brother to be
placed with our family. Our case manager,
Jackie, assured us that they were very in
tuned to our needs and wants, and were continually and diligently working to find a mentor
to complement those needs. While we waited,
BBBSMMC extended to Kendall and I a host of
social activities for us to experience including
a NY Liberty game, NJ Devils Hockey game,
holiday festivities, Back to School events,
a very informative monthly newsletter and
a wealth of information that made me, and
Kendall, very excited about what was to come.
Little Brother Kendall with his Big Brother Tyler
Finally, after the long wait, we received a call,
saying that they found what they believe was a great match for Kendall. They couldn’t
have been more right. Tyler truly has been and is a Godsend. I was so grateful for the
time and care that the staff took to be conscientious of our needs and wants, and how
meticulous they were to ensure that Tyler was the perfect fit. It was impressive, and well
worth the wait.
Since that day in April, Tyler has been such a welcomed blessing to Kendall, sharing
his time, talents and advice and being an open book to anything Kendall wants to know
about him. They have enjoyed outings together such as arcade escapades, Liberty
Science Center, museum visits, attending Kendall’s soccer games, park adventures,
and even volunteering with me as a breast cancer survivor and supporting the annual
Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer walk. When I tell you that my heart is so filled with joy
with BBBSMMC and Tyler Wagner, even that would be an understatement. I have been
so moved by the effect this program and Kendall’s Big Brother has had on Kendall that
Tyler, Kendall and I have been mulling over fundraising ideas and how we can give back
to an organization that has given us so much. Thank you again, BBBSMMC for reminding me of the gift of patience and the power of relationships and mentorship.
Sincerely,
Kamuela Tillman
Kamuela Tillman
Inspire • Believe • Achieve
Little Brother James with his Big Brother Danny
You may recall 10 year old James who was
highlighted back in our February newsletter. At that time, James was patiently waiting to be matched with a Big Brother of his
own. We are so happy to report that James
was matched with his Big Brother Danny in
July. James and Danny have enjoyed some
local fairs, bike riding and mini golfing.
Danny was able to attend one of James’s
football games this year, which James was
very happy about. James says Danny is
“Big-Brotherly like” and “kind” and enjoys
spending time with him. Since they have
been matched, James’s mother reports
that his grades in school have improved!
BIG & LITTLE MATCH
ANNIVERSARIES IN DECEMBER
ßß Big Brother Robert & Little
Brother Andrew 6 Years
ßß Big Sister Michelle & Little
Sister Elayna 5 Years
ßß Big Brother Isaac & Little
Brother Karon 3 Years
ßß Big Brother Stephen and Big
Sister Kim & Little Brother
Stephen 3 Years
Big
Sister Joy & Little Sister
ßß
Kalise 2 Years
ßß Big Sister Abby & Little Sister
Talani 2 Years
ßß Big Sister Lateisha and Little
Sister Shianne 1 Year
ßß Big Brother Michael and Little
Brother Christopher 1 Year
ßß Big Brother Sam & Little Brother
Jahod 1 Year
Agency Highlights
BBBSMMC served 680 children through 1-to-1 mentoring! This includes 380 children
served through our 6 School Based Programs and 4 Beyond School Walls Programs.
30 Kids Club events were held with nearly 600 participants! Twenty donated sporting
and event tickets were enjoyed by Bigs and Littles. Over 60 families were provided with
holiday gifts, Easter and Thanksgiving meals, winter coats, and other services through
community support.
BBBSMMC hosted 5 special events supported by over 1500 attendees and we were
beneficiary of several community fundraisers.
735 volunteers logged an extraordinary 44,000 hours providing mentoring, organizing
events, and as Board and committee members.
3.6 years is the average length of a Big-Little Match in our Community Based Program!
Throughout the year, our agency provided
unique activities for Littles and children
waiting to be matched that focused on
career exploration and higher education.
Included in these events were Old Navy
Career Day, Dynamic Engineering Day,
Take Your Little to Work Day, Rutgers
Athletics Day, and Withum, Smith & Brown
Accounting/CPA Presentation. We look
forward to offering more of these
opportunities in 2017 as we received
great feedback from the children who
attended, their families, and Bigs.
BBBSMMC Bigs, Littles, staff & Legislators
at the BIG Breakfast
There’s A First Time For Everything!
Do you remember the first time you
shot a 3-pointer, baked an apple pie, or
went to a live musical? You may have
had a parent or family member by your
side taking photos and cheering you
on. These are the things memories
are made of, and many of the kids we
serve experience these moments with
their Bigs.
This is why a Big Brother or Big Sister
is so important. They give their Little
an exciting opportunity to experience
new things and to see that the world is
full of exciting possibilities!
On #GivingTuesday, we raised over
$5,000 to help create more Big-Little
matches that provide these first time
experiences for kids in our community
and our goal is to raise $10,000 by the
end of 2016. With just $2,845 left to go,
we know we can get there with your help!
Asbury Park High School students were exposed
to the Accounting/CPA field during Withum, Smith,
& Brown’s Week of Caring this past month
BBBSMMC staff attended Big Brothers
Big Sisters of New Jersey’s Legislative
Day in Trenton on October 20th. The day
was focused on building awareness of Big
Brothers Big Sisters and the importance
of the services our New Jersey agencies
bring to the community. The agencies
each hosted a BIG Breakfast throughout
the state in November where our Bigs
and Littles had a chance to meet and
chat with their local legislators.
Please consider making a tax-deductible
donation today at support.bbbsmmc.
org, or by mailing a check to the address below.
If you donate toward the “First Time for
Everything” campaign, you will receive
email updates throughout 2017 when
Littles have a first time experience with
their Big…like the note below from Big
Sister Sharon!
All 10 of our School and Beyond School Walls programs kicked off successfully including
a new program with Biotechnology High School and Long Branch Middle School!
BBBS of America’s Nationwide Leadership Council named BBBSMMC as a recipient
of the BBBS of America Quality Award. The Quality Award recognizes the hard work
of agency leadership and staff to provide high-quality programming for the children
we serve and it is the second year in row our agency has earned this honor.
OUR MISSION PARTNERS
Mission Maker
Mentor Makers
Happy Giving Tuesday!
Today Melissa and I made gingerbread
houses together - her first one ever!
Beforehand, we stopped at Starbucks
for hot chocolate and saw a giving
tree for BBBS and now we will be
buying a gift for another child in the
program! Such a great organization to
be associated with!
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Monmouth & Middlesex Counties
305 Bond Street 2nd Floor | Asbury Park, NJ 07712 | 732.544.2224 | [email protected] | www.bbbsmmc.org
Inspire • Believe • Achieve
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